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#1
dcm3w

dcm3w

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#1
I think we should reassess this game since its been a couple of days and we've cooled off. I won't lie, I was pretty discouraged when at the end of the first half. But I think there are a few things we need to take into account here. Those being:

1. Appy State-has/is been a good team. If I'm not mistaken their defense was in the top 25 in the country or close to it. So, they are no cupcake. I would consider them better than a few teams in the SEC.

2. Our defense held their own. If Cam didn't fumble and set up the score. We literally gave up 1 more touchdown the whole game and none in the second half. By the way, Vereen had decent coverage on the guy.

3. You can see the talent in all the spots. It's just we need to find ways to utilize more instead of being super conservative. All I see is Thunder and no lightening.

4. First game of the season. Rust. There's ways to take the first game depending on how you look at it. If we play a cupcake, most of the time we aren't tested, so it's hard to gauge for when you play true competition. Since, we played an actual quality opponent, we know what needs to be fixed (or atleast in my mind).

If we play shaky during the Battle of Bristol then we might can freak out.
 
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#2
#2
dcm3w said:
I think we should reassess this game since its been a couple of days and we've cooled off. I won't lie, I was pretty discouraged when at the end of the first half. But I think there are a few things we need to take into account here. Those being:

1. Appy State-has/is been a good team. If I'm not mistaken their defense was in the top 25 in the country or close to it. So, they are no cupcake. I would consider them better than a few teams in the SEC.

2. Our defense held their own. If Cam didn't fumble and set up the score. We literally gave up 1 more touchdown the whole game and none in the second half. By the way, Vereen had decent coverage on the guy.

3. You can see the talent in all the spots. It's just we need to find ways to utilize more instead of being super conservative. All I see is Thunder and no lightening.

4. First game of the season. Rust. There's ways to take the first game depending on how you look at it. If we play a cupcake, most of the time we aren't tested, so it's hard to gauge for when you play true competition. Since, we played an actual quality opponent, we know what needs to be fixed (or atleast in my mind).

If we play shaky during the Battle of Bristol then we might can freak out.
Click to expand...


I agree completely. I saw a graphic, ESPNs FPI had App State ahead of Texas A&M and a good chunk of SEC east schools. This was not your average Sunbelt team. I said the below on the 9-2 butch's outlook poll:

I think everyone needs to pump the breaks. Thursday was an extremely sloppy game, but let's not forget this is basically the same team (with added talent and depth) that took Oklahoma and Alabama to the wire last year. Let's see how we perform at the Battle at Bristol before getting on the railing of the Henley Street bridge.

Honestly, I think this was just one of those weird games. Thursday night against a very unusual but well coached and talented team, JRM gets ejected, Sutton muffs a punt, special teams plays poorly, offense line plays poorly against an unsually small and quick defensive live, and it takes a quarter or two to adjust to App States triple option. Obviously there is plenty to work on. But this team is talented, and we fortunately squeaked out a win. I honestly would consider this game an anomaly in Butch's record, as we typically come out well prepared against lesser competition. As mentioned early, if we look as bad against VT, then we have reason for concern. As of right now, I still think this will go 10-2 and win the East. We will see the team we expected to see as the season progresses.
 
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#4
#4
I look at this game as a scrimmage game. High schools play 2 or 3 scrimmages before season to assess where they are at plus you get to hit other players. Coaches and players now know where they are at physically and mentally. Game is over.....move forward, long season.
 
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#5
#5
Maybe CBJ & Co. are just not on the same page as many of the rest of us. Some of us, along with many in the media, were expecting the margin of victory to be 3 TDs or more in our favor. CBJ & Co. might have preferred to use the game to work on what turned out to be the greatest weakness with our team last year - not being able to win the 4th quarter in a close game. Of course that doesn't explain any of the "uncharacteristic" things that we saw from the team on Thursday night. Butch really didn't seem overly concerned afterward and that got me to wondering....What if he let these guys dig themselves into a hole just to see if they were ready to respond in crunch time?

I remember watching a really good HS basketball coach pull key starters in a tough game because they weren't giving their best effort. They were ahead and coasting. When they went back in they were behind and there wasn't a lot of time left on the clock. They won but the stars didn't get to coast into the buzzer.

I think we may just have to remain on the edge of our seats for the next few weeks to figure out what we have and where we are. If the staff is playing coy with our rivals by design we have to get the same treatment.

By the way, I don't consider a potential sun belt conference champion even remotely in the same league as an SEC championship contender. It's a rationalization that is absurd, imo, but I hasten to add, it's possible one day there really could be a cold day in hell - climate change I reckon. :)
 
#6
#6
ChattaTNVol said:
Maybe CBJ & Co. are just not on the same page as many of the rest of us. Some of us, along with many in the media, were expecting the margin of victory to be 3 TDs or more in our favor. CBJ & Co. might have preferred to use the game to work on what turned out to be the greatest weakness with our team last year - not being able to win the 4th quarter in a close game. Of course that doesn't explain any of the "uncharacteristic" things that we saw from the team on Thursday night. Butch really didn't seem overly concerned afterward and that got me to wondering....What if he let these guys dig themselves into a hole just to see if they were ready to respond in crunch time?

I remember watching a really good HS basketball coach pull key starters in a tough game because they weren't giving their best effort. They were ahead and coasting. When they went back in they were behind and there wasn't a lot of time left on the clock. They won but the stars didn't get to coast into the buzzer.

I think we may just have to remain on the edge of our seats for the next few weeks to figure out what we have and where we are. If the staff is playing coy with our rivals by design we have to get the same treatment.

By the way, I don't consider a potential sun belt conference champion even remotely in the same league as an SEC championship contender. It's a rationalization that is absurd, imo, but I hasten to add, it's possible one day there really could be a cold day in hell - climate change I reckon. :)
Click to expand...
That hasnt changed..
 
#10
#10
Unless UT can improve the OL and find a passing attack, we're an 8-9 win team and likely 3rd in the east.
 
#12
#12
ChattaTNVol said:
Maybe CBJ & Co. are just not on the same page as many of the rest of us. Some of us, along with many in the media, were expecting the margin of victory to be 3 TDs or more in our favor. CBJ & Co. might have preferred to use the game to work on what turned out to be the greatest weakness with our team last year - not being able to win the 4th quarter in a close game. Of course that doesn't explain any of the "uncharacteristic" things that we saw from the team on Thursday night. Butch really didn't seem overly concerned afterward and that got me to wondering....What if he let these guys dig themselves into a hole just to see if they were ready to respond in crunch time?

I remember watching a really good HS basketball coach pull key starters in a tough game because they weren't giving their best effort. They were ahead and coasting. When they went back in they were behind and there wasn't a lot of time left on the clock. They won but the stars didn't get to coast into the buzzer.

I think we may just have to remain on the edge of our seats for the next few weeks to figure out what we have and where we are. If the staff is playing coy with our rivals by design we have to get the same treatment.

By the way, I don't consider a potential sun belt conference champion even remotely in the same league as an SEC championship contender. It's a rationalization that is absurd, imo, but I hasten to add, it's possible one day there really could be a cold day in hell - climate change I reckon. :)
Click to expand...
Conspiracy theorists. Smh
 
#13
#13
dcm3w said:
I think we should reassess this game since its been a couple of days and we've cooled off. I won't lie, I was pretty discouraged when at the end of the first half. But I think there are a few things we need to take into account here. Those being:

1. Appy State-has/is been a good team. If I'm not mistaken their defense was in the top 25 in the country or close to it. So, they are no cupcake. I would consider them better than a few teams in the SEC.

2. Our defense held their own. If Cam didn't fumble and set up the score. We literally gave up 1 more touchdown the whole game and none in the second half. By the way, Vereen had decent coverage on the guy.

3. You can see the talent in all the spots. It's just we need to find ways to utilize more instead of being super conservative. All I see is Thunder and no lightening.

4. First game of the season. Rust. There's ways to take the first game depending on how you look at it. If we play a cupcake, most of the time we aren't tested, so it's hard to gauge for when you play true competition. Since, we played an actual quality opponent, we know what needs to be fixed (or atleast in my mind).

If we play shaky during the Battle of Bristol then we might can freak out.
Click to expand...

1. No doubt Appy State is a good team. However, we have the bigger stronger faster more talented team who under performed due to poor focus and a lack of discipline by several more experienced players. But Appy would easily beat Vandy, South Carolina, Kentucky, and maybe Mississippi State.

2. Defense looked like swiss cheese for a large part of the game. Part of poor focus. And no, DEs should not be covering a RB that far off the line. If this is our new improved defense, I am starting to miss Jancek.

3. All thunder and no lightning? What does that mean? I question many of the plays called, but with so many players performing pathetically, what plays do you call?

4. It was more than rust, but whatever caused them to play so flat should not be hard to correct. I haven't seen anyone say this yet, but maybe not having an open practice affected the team's mindset. However, Appy gave them a wake up. They will be ready for Bristol.
 
#14
#14
Not really buying into us being rusty. If we were rusty there was no excuse for it. Alabama was playing for the first time tonight and they didn't look rusty or waste time using a vanilla package. Saban had his boys ready to play. Jones did not.
 
#16
#16
First game or not....intentional vanilla game plan or not....there are serious concerns with the OL the way it is right now.
 
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